Franck watched her walk back towards the house. He felt as if he’d always lived there in the depths of the countryside, disconnected from everything and attached to nothing. He didn’t want to think about Liem and Travis again, not now. Now, he just wanted to take a nap under the big oak tree, immerse himself in the wilderness all around, and then go for a long walk around the gullies back to the cage. He didn’t even know where he’d left his phone. Probably in his trousers, or in the car. He just had to stop thinking, especially about the two arseholes who were pushing him around like lions ganging up on a wildebeest. Just thinking about the phone call filled him with rage. The dog was still staring at him. He again pictured wolves devouring each other over their victim’s corpse. He stroked Alpha, who nodded his head approvingly. His coat was thick but soft.

Once again he felt intuitively that he needed to form an alliance with the big dog, who he was sure would do anything for him. They just needed to seal the agreement. Franck took another slice of ham and dangled it above the dog’s mouth. The animal again grabbed it in one swift movement, perhaps a little less nervously than before, as if accepting the authority of his master. Franck watched him chewing it with relish. Then he took another slice, but brought it to his own mouth this time and ate it. He chewed it at length, taking great delight in drawing the juice out of its fatty, salty texture and strong natural flavour. He enjoyed the way the salt made his mouth water. He was waiting for the dog to react, but there was no sign of animosity. Instead, the dog came up to him and put his head on his thigh, as if demonstrating that he was on his side. Franck stroked the animal’s strong neck; trust had been established between them. Suddenly, for no real reason, Liem and Travis didn’t seem so bad any more; suddenly he felt less alone and better armed against them. He now knew that he had an ally, and he just had to get the bastards to go somewhere they knew nothing about, somewhere they would never win. They would be the losers; yes, he would get them to sign a new, radically different contract, a new deal that would make them the victims. They would be the losers, not him.